


Pride

by Stregatrek



Series: Wlw with my wife [1]
Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Coffee Shops, F/F, Meet-Cute, Modern Era, No cops at pride, Pride, The first pride was a riot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-25
Updated: 2019-09-25
Packaged: 2020-10-28 04:04:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20772242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stregatrek/pseuds/Stregatrek
Summary: Does it count as a meet cute if she's hiding from the cops?





	Pride

**Author's Note:**

  * For [queerchickadee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/queerchickadee/gifts).

Deanna looked out the window again, and sighed. There were rainbow streamers on the counter, and a big rainbow rosette on the front of the shop, but she and her bi pride pin were firmly stuck behind the counter. Honestly, it had to be some kind of discriminatory scheduling or something to make her work the exact day and time that she could hear the city’s pride parade less than a block away. As she smiled at one of the regulars, Mr. Barclay, who was currently the only person in the shop, she longed to rip her apron off and run after the noise of so many happy people. But she had to pay college tuition, so she stayed put. Reg smiled and left, and Deanna sighed in the empty coffee shop, anticipating the rush of folks once the parade wrapped up.  


The shop was quiet for a few minutes, so Deanna turned up the music. Strange Magic played into the wistful silence. And then the door slammed open, violently jingling the bell attached to it, and a brunette with a bruise on one of her high cheekbones was hurtling across the shop floor. “HicanIhideherethanks,” she rapped out, staccato, easily jumping the counter as Deanna startled back.  


The girl slid to the floor, chest heaving, and pressed her back against the counter. She looked up at Deanna with wide eyes. She had on a crop top, a lesbian pride pin stuck to the shoulder and a pride flag painted on her cheek. Her shorts showed long, bruised legs, and Deanna couldn’t help staring.  


“Can I, uh, help you?”  


“I punched a cop,”  


“Um, oh. Nice.”  


The girl’s face split into a smile. “I’m Laren. Ro Laren.”  


“Hi, Laren. I’m Deanna.”  


“Hi, Deanna.” She said it casually, like she wasn’t sitting on the floor of a strange coffee shop hiding from the police.  


“Were you at the parade?” Deanna asked. She busied her hands with wiping down the counter to give her eyes something else to focus on and her heartbeat some time to slow down.  


“Yeah.” Lauren looked up at her, still breathing hard, and Deanna saw her eyes catch on the pride pin. “Why aren’t you?”  


Deanna scrunched up her face. “Had to work. I’m in school, so when they give me a shift I kind of have to take it.”  


“Gotcha. What are you studying?”  


“Double majoring, psychology and sociology.”  


“Wow,” Laren’s eyebrows rose. “You must be smart.”  


Deanna blushed and shrugged.“Oh, God,” She caught a movement outside from the corner of her eye. “Hold still and be quiet,” She said, setting her towel aside and leaning on the counter with a friendly smile. She saw who it was just as he turned the doorknob, and her smile went brittle.  


Laren flattened herself against the counter as the shop door opened. “Hi, Deanna.” Will cleared his throat. “Did you- uh- see anyone run by outside, just now?”  


“No,” Deanna said. “Should I have?” She wanted him to get out of the shop.  


Will scratched the back of his neck. “Well, thanks anyway. And- er- good seeing you.” He started to back out. “You wouldn’t happen to be free for dinner?”  


“Nope, sorry.” She watched him leave the shop and walk down the block before she looked down at Laren again, and the fugitive burst into nervous giggles.  


“Oh my god,” She covered her mouth. “That was totally the guy I punched. How do you _know_ him?”  
__

_ _Deanna blushed uncomfortably. “We used to date before he joined the police academy.”  
_ _

_ _“Oh. That’s… Something.”  
_ _

_ _Uncontrollable giggles started, and soon Deanna was on the floor beside Laren. “I can’t believe you punched him,” She said eventually, wiping her eyes.  
_ _

_ _“He was making creepy eyes at my friend! Plus, cops at pride.”  
_ _

_ _“True,” Deanna said. “So, when you’re not punching cops, what do you do?”  
_ _

_ _Laren smiled, stretching out her legs. “I work for a nonprofit. We provide food and housing options.”  
_ _

_ _“Oh my god,” Deanna smiled, staring at her. Was it normal to fall in love with gorgeous strangers who punched your ex and hid on the floor of your coffee shop? Oh, what did normal matter. “Would you come back, sometime? When you’re not hiding from the cops?”  
_ _

_ _Laren smiled, looking at her with eyes softer than the rest of her demeanor. “Why visit you at coffee when I could buy you dinner?”  
_ _

_ _Deanna blushed. It was definitely not normal to kiss strangers on the floor of your coffee shop. But… “I would really like that,” She said. “When?”  
_ _

_ _“Well, are you free tonight?”  
_ _

_ _“I get off at six,”  
_ _

_ _“Great,” Laren smiled, then looked around a bit. “I don’t have to leave yet, though, do I?”  
_ _

_ _Deanna smiled. “Not if you don’t want to.”  
_ _

_ _“Oh, good.”  
_ _

**Author's Note:**

> You heard it here first folks, Ro Laren said no cops at pride


End file.
